Portable desk



March 9, 1965 J P, COLLIER PORTABLE DESK Filed A iil 17; 1964 INVENTOR,

JR COLLIER BY United States Patent 3,172,636 PORTABLE DESK I. P. Collier, 3311 W. 115th St., Inglewood, Calif. Filed Apr. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 360,688 6 Claims. (Cl. 248--444) The present invention has for an object a portable desk of light weight, which may be folded to occupy small space and which may be used by a person while reclining in bed, sitting in a chair, or placed on another table.

The portable desk provides a structure which incorporates a tray for the storage of various articles such as pens, pencils, paper and the like, all of which articles are readily accessible to a user of the desk.

An object of the invention is the provision of a portable desk adapted to hold various articles in ready position of access by its user and which articles may be retained within the desk when the desk is in non-use.

The portable desk of my invention contemplates a planar work table or panel so formed as to allow the panel to be close to the body of the user thereof. The work table or panel carries on one surface thereof a hinged tray which is formed to hold the work table or panel at an inclination when the tray is engaging a supporting object. The portable desk may be turned so that the work table or panel lies beneath the tray, in which instance the tray provides an inclined surface for work. The tray may be moved to extend vertically to the work surface of the table or panel to provide access to various writing implements, paper, books, drawing instruments, clips, thumb tacks, and other articles. If desired, the work table or panel may be detachably secured to a vertical surface such as a wall and the tray opened outwardly for the holding of various articles.

The invention has for further objects a portable desk which is simple of construction, efficient in use and service, and generally superior to portable desks now known to the inventor.

With the above mentioned, and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, association and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as shown in one embodiment in the accompanying drawing, described generally, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the portable desk, the work table or panel being uppermost;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the portable desk, the work table or panel being lifted to expose the interior of the tray;

We claim:

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the obverse side of the work table or panel with the tray hinged thereto; and,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the tray raised at an angle to the back surface of the work table or panel.

The portable desk includes the members 1 and 2, and of which member 1 is the work table of planar panel form and member 2 is the tray. The tray 2 is hinged to the work table to the end that the tray may assume an angular position relative to the table, as illustrated in FIGURE 4.

The work table 1 has upper and lower surfaces 3 and 4 respectively. The lower edge 5 of the work table has a concave edge 6. The curved edge 6 lies substantially intermediate the end edges 7 and 8 of the work table. This construction provides aligned edges at 9 and 10. The top edge 11 of the work table has a panel extension 12 which has a convex edge 13. In the present construction, the curved edges 6 and 13 are substantially parallel and such a construction provides the top edge 11 with two aligned edges 14 and 15 which are substantially of ice the same length as and parallel to the edges at 9 and 10 of the lower edge 5 of the work table. This construction adds to the appearance of the table due to the symmetry thereof and, likewise, has functional attributes as will hereinafter be set forth.

The lower surface 4 or back of the work table 1 has the tray 2 connected thereto. The tray is secured by means of hinges 20 to the work table and is spaced inwardly from the edges 14 and 15, as shown in FIGURE 3. The tray 2 includes in the present instance an inclined working surface or planar panel 21 supported at an inclination by a back wall 22 and triangular ends 23 and 24. As shown, the panel 21 for the tray is secured to the triangular ends 23 and 24 along the hypotenuse thereof. The panel portion 21 of the tray has the lower edge 25 thereof substantially tangent to the concave edge 6 of the table top. A ledge in the form of a strip or molding 26 extends along the lower edge of the tray panel 21. The tray is provided with a partition 28 of triangular form, which lies intermediate the ends 23 and 24 of the tray. I have found it expedient to provide an inner ledge 29 for the tray, which ledge extends between the partition 28 and the ends 23 and 24.

In order to hold the tray against the rear surface of work table, I have provided catches, designated generally as 30. In the present instance the catches are in two parts and comprise studs 31 carried by the work table and adapted to be received in spring clips 32 secured to the tray for detachably holding the tray in the position shown in FIGURE 3.

In addition to the foregoing, the extension 12 of the table top 1 is provided with a transverse slot 33 which permits the portable desk to be carried. As it may be desired to hang the portable desk against a vertical surface such as a wall, holes are provided at 34 and 35 through which pins, fastened to a wall may be passed. These holes, as shown, are at adjacent corners between the bottom edge portions 9 and 10 and the side edges 7 and 8. When in this position, the catches 30 may be released and the tray moved from the position of FIGURE 3 to that of FIGURE 2.

The operation, uses and advantages of my invention are as follows.

The parts of my invention are so related as to present a pleasing apparance and still provide many functional conveniences. Thus, the tray 2 is formed to readily house paper, pencils, drawing instruments, ink and the like quite safely and to confine said articles beneath the work table 1 when the work table is secured to the tray by the catches as for instance, illustrated in FIGURE 3. The user of the desk may be reclining in bed or sitting in a chair, in which instance if the chair has arms, the upper surface of tray panel 21 may rest between the arms which will dispose the work table at an inclination, as shown in FIGURE 1, the concave edge 6 encompassing a portion of the body so that the panel may be close to the user of the desk. This gives a large surface upon which work may be placed for reading, writing, drawing or for a multitude of other purposes. However, if the portable desk is to be used for holding books or papers at an inclination, the work table 1 may be positioned relative to the user so that the tray 2 is positioned as shown in FIG- URE 3. Again, the concave edge 6 accommodates the body of the user and allows close positioning of the tray to the user. Work may be placed on the inclined surface of the tray to be held against slippage therefrom by the ledge 26. Ready access within the tray is afforded by lifting the tray upwardly due to the hinges 20, or to the position shown in FIGURE 4 which will give a substantially horizontal working surface. I have thereby provided a portable desk wherein the working surfaces may 3 be inclined or horizontal as desired. It will be noted that the extension 12 acts to support the tray when the tray is moved to the position of FIGURE 2 or to that of FIG- URE 4.

It is to be noted that the spacing between end 22 and the sides 23 and 24 of the tray from edges 7, 8, and 11 of the table top provides'ledge portions uponwhich various articles may be placed for convenient access thereto.

Furthermore, clips may be secured along the table top' edges by this construction.

I claim:

1. A portable desk, including: a first planar panel having an upper edge and a lower edge, the lower edge provided with a concave edge portion, and the upper edge of said panel provided with an extension having a convex edge portion and a carrying portion; a tray hinged to the first planar panel adjacent the upper edge portion thereof, said tray having a back wall and two triangular end walls and a planar panel secured to said walls.

2. The portable desk of claim 1, the tray panel being secured to the back wall and the end Walls so that the same slopes downwardly toward the concave circular edge of the first planar panel.

3. The device of claim 1, said tray being turnable on said hinges to position the end'wall thereof in engagement with the extension of the first planar panel to hold the tray in angular relationship to the first planar panel.

4. The device of claim 1, said tray panel provided with a ledge portion and a partition within the tray.

5. The device of claim I, and means for detachably securing the tray closed against the first planar panel.

6. The device of claim l,the convex edge of the extension and the concave edge of the first planar panel being substantially parallel.

References Cited by the'Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,003,746 '6/35 Headington 248-452 2,640,747 6/53 Bodenhofi 2 48444 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,477 3/09 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PORTABLE DESK, INCLUDING: A FIRST PLANAR HAVING AN UPPER EDGE AND A LOWER EDGE, THE LOWER EDGE PROVIDED WITH A CONCAVE EDGE PORTION, AND THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID PANEL PROVIDED WITH AN EXTENSION HAVING A CONVEX EDGE PORTION AND A CARRYING PORTION; A TRAY HINGED TO THE FIRST PLANAR PANEL ADJACENT THE UPPER EDGE PORTION THEREOF, SAID TRAY HAVING A BACK WALL AND TWO TRIANGULAR END WALLS AND A PLANAR PANEL SECURED TO SAID WALLS. 